Of those four matchups, they could be expected to win 1.66 (4 x. Since that hypothetical group would have to play their excess games against four above average teams, they would be at a relative disadvantage. 582) percent chance of winning each inter-division contest. If you were to put a replacement-level team in the Wolves’ spot, they would - mathematically - have about a 41.8 (1 –. Outside of the Wolves, the rest of the Northwest Division won 191 games (58.2 percent). But let’s look closely at last year’s standings.

It’s only one extra game (or four total), so it can’t be very meaningful, right? Does it make a difference – any given season – that a team plays in a stronger division? The Wolves, as an example, have three games against most Western Conference teams each year, but four against the Thunder, Jazz, Blazers and Nuggets. So we started wondering: why does the NBA continue to maintain its divisional structure? Is it significant, and are there any unintended consequences? In the doldrums of summer, we thought now would be a good time to have a back-and-forth conversation on the topic. I don't know how big of a factor that is but its a factor. The Wolves play in the strongest top-to-bottom division in basketball (OKC, UTA, DEN, POR). The only implication that persists is one additional regular season matchup.ĭivisions in the NBA are silly but they exist and are a factor when predicting win totals because you play those teams 16 times. Today, playoff seeding is decided by conference standings, making divisions largely irrelevant. In response to years of backlash, this loophole was eliminated in 2015. The Mavericks wound up with the fourth seed and faced the Spurs in the conference semi-finals. But because the Phoenix Suns (54 wins) and Denver Nuggets (44 wins) won the conference’s other two divisions, they earned higher positions in the playoff standings. The Dallas Mavericks, a member of the same division, had the second most wins in the Western Conference (60). In terms of maximizing playoff fervor, this proved to be an inefficient strategy.įor instance: In 2005-06, the San Antonio Spurs won 63 games to lead the Southwest division. Not only was each team guaranteed to play inter-divisional foes four times a year – compared to three games against most other teams in the same conference – the winner of each division was ensured a top-four seed in post-season play. Afterwards, that number was broadened to six, each with five different teams.Īt the time, it was a consequential aspect of the league’s composition. Before the expansion, there were four divisions that encompassed 29 organizations. When the NBA returned to Charlotte in 2004-05 – making the Bobcats the league’s 30th team – it simultaneously reconstituted its divisional structure.

Nba western conference divisions